Device for opening and closing garage-doors and the like



M. L. HANEY. DEVICE FOR OPENING ANDCLDSING GARAGE DOORS AND THE LIKE- APPLICATION FILED FEB-10,1920- 1,395,240; Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

Z SHEETSSHEET l.

M. L; HANEY.

DEVICE FOR OPENING AND CLOSING GARAGE DOORS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1920.

1,395,240. Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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To allwhomz'tma e concern: Be it known that I, MYRON L4 HALNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beloit, in the county of Rock and State of 5 Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Open-.-

ing and Closing Garage-Doors and the like,

of which the following is a specification;

This invention pertains in general to devices for opening and closing doors, and has more. particular reference. to fluid. operated mechanisms adapted particularly for open:-

ing garage doors or any swinging doors.

The primary object of the present 1nven.

tion is'to provide a-simple and improved. mechanism operated preferably by fluid' pressure for quickly opening a pair of r inged doors, especially of the kind used in the entrance way of agarage. It should be understood however, that my improvements are in no way limited to this particular use asthey are generally applicablefor opening.

any swinging doors.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel mechanism-operating in conjunction with a door-check and closer .on

each door, whereby the doors will be'opened by pressure applied through my im rovements and will be closed by the action of said door closers.

Still another object resides in the provision of a novel control-device, a simple actuation of which; as by pulling a cord, will cause the doors to be opened and held open until the cord or operating member of the control device is again actuated for causing the doors to be closed.

My invention also contemplates the rovision of mechanism which may be app ied 40 as an attachment to any pairofswinging doors equipped with a door check and closer of conventional design.

Other objects and attendant advantages relative to various features of the invention appreciated as the invention becomes better understood by reference to thefollowing description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which--- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a pair of garage doors 'equipped with. an opening and closing device embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 an enlarged plan view'ofthe parts directly associated with the left hand door and showing in dotted lines the doors swung partly open opening" the doors and a second time for and not heretofore mentioned will be better Specification of Letters Patent. Patentaafl @cefij, 25., 11921, Application filed. February 10, 1920. Serial-No. 357,546.

- Fig. 3 an enlarged section view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig.4 a detailed sectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 3. I In the present illustration of my improvements I have taken a typical example of-the doors at the entrance to a garage. It will be observed in Fig. 1 that the doors 5 and 6 'arehungat their outer edges on the hinges 7 at in .a conventional manner and that these doorsare adapted to swing inwardly upon saidhinges. Inasmuch as the entrances of this kind jareof relatively large dimensions,

time.

' It is desired under the circumstances of this particular use to open both doors quickly and with little efl'ort on the part of theoperator and to hold. the doors open for such period as is necessary. This I propose to. do by simply actuating a control device as by'pulling a cord once for the purpose of causing them to close, I have further pro posed to utilize the ordinary door check and closer very generally: employed on doors of this kind for the purpose ofclosing them" after they have been opened; In the-present instance each door is equipped with a, door check and closer- 8. of conventional design. 7

and inasmuch as these devices are of well I known construction, have deemed it unnecessaryto illustrate them other than in outline. Thesedevices generally includean oscillatory part connected with a stationary partof theldoor casing or the adjoining adapted to befactuated by fluid such as air under pressure conveyed through means of a pipe 16 which extends to, the hinged edge of the door and is connected thereat through means of a flexible hose section 17 with a pipe connection 18 that leads to the'supply port 19 Fig.- 3 in a casing 20. This casing isf preferably attached centrally above the doors and connects in the manner just de 110 scribed to the cylinder 15 on each door. It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the door 6 is equipped with mechanism similar in every respect to the parts just described as being applied to the door 5. From the foregoing construction it will be manifest that when air is applied under, pressure to both the pipes 18, the racks 13- will be forced outwardly, thereby. oscillating the segmental gears 9 and-causing the doors to be swung inwardly on the hinges 7. In other words, viewing Fig. 2, the segmental gear 9 will be oscillated 'in a counter-clockwise direction,- thereby imposing a thrust on the joined parts 10 and 11 and forcing the door 5 open, that is, to swing in a clockwise direction.

I have now provided-a device for controlling the admission of air under pressure to the pipes 18. This control will admit air under pressure to the cylinders 15 and then release the air. In the present instance this control device consists of a casing 20 mentioned above, in which is mounted a pair of oscillatory valves 21 and 22 having diametrioal ports 23 and 24 respectively, adapted to.

register with the vertical passageway- 25 through the casing. Air is admitted under pressure to the upper end of the passage 25 from any suitable source. In the position of the valves shown in Fig. 3 port 23 is closed and port 24 is open to the outer atmosphere,

this being the position with the doors closed.

The ports 23 and 24 spaced atright angles to each other are connected in permanent relation by means of spur gears 26 and 27. Thus by revolving one of these gears 90 the position of the valves .will be changed to close one and open the other and upon a similar actuation of the gears through the next 90 the valveswill be opened and closed .on'the rod 32 regulate the up and down in inverse order, and upon each successive 90$ movement of the gears the position of the valves will be changed. For so actuat. ing the valves I have equipped gear 26 with .a ratchet wheel 28 having four equally spaced notches 29 therein. A lever 30 loosely mounted concentric withthe valve 21 carries a spring pressed pawl 31 constantly urged against the periphery of the ratchet wheel 28. This lever is equipped at its outer end witha weight 37 and connected to a rod 32 which is guided in a bracket 33 for.

vertical movement. T-he stops 34=-and 35 movements of this rod. By means of a cable 36, attached to the u per end of the rod and guided over pulleys not shown) to any suit ablepoint within the reach of an. operator,

the rod 32 may be raised at will. .sUpon raising the rod32to its upper extremity limited by the stop 35 the ratchet wheel 28 will be moved 90 in a clockwise direction viewing Fig. 4.

This operation will turn the valves 21 and 22 through a similar number of degrees, causing the port 23 to register with the passage 25 and closing the port 24. The result of this operation is that the air'under pressure iparatus used for tire filling purposes,

from the supply tankwill be admittedto both of the cylinders 15, causing both doors to be swung inwardly to open positions.

Any suitable .means may be provided for cushioning the doors when they have been opened. The doors remain in this open position as long as the air ressure is applied to the pistons. Whent e cable 36 is released, the weight 37 returns the lever 30 to its starting position and engages the pawl 31 in the next'succeedingnotch 29 in' the ratchet wheel. The valves are held against accidental displacement by means of springs 38, which likewise hold the valves seated. The stop 34 on the rod 32 limits the downward movement of the lever, to the proper extent so that upon the next actuation of the cable 36, the lever 30 will turn the valves through'another 90, thereby closing port 23 and opening the port 24, as shown in Fig.

3. This permits the air confined: in the cylthey are especially adapted for opening comparatively heavy doors as in the case of garage doors or those closing large passageways. My improvements are also of special utility in connection with garage doors because being operated by fluid pressure, no special air tank and pump is required as most garages are equ1pped with thisIapt is elieved that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding of the principles and objects of my invention and while I have illustrated and described but a single working embodiment it should be understoodthat various changes might be made in the construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of-the invention as expressed in the appended claims, in which I'claim: I p a 1. In a door-check and closer device, the combination of a hinged door, a door-check and closer carried by the door and having an operating part, aconnection between said operating part and a fixed support, whereby the door upon being opened will be closed and checked by said device, a fluid pressure device supported by the door, a connection 5 12 between said fluid-pressure device and the operating part of the door-check and closer device, and means for causing said fluidpressure device to open the door through the agency of said operating part of the door-check and closer device.

too

having an operating part connected with a stationary support, and a flllldrPI'QSSUI'GQdG a vice supported on the door and having a part connected with said operating part of the door-closer device and adapted tobe operated by fluid pressure for openingthe door.

3. The combination of a hinged door, a door-closing device mounted upon the door adjacent to its hinged end and having an operating part connected with a fixed support, a cylinder fixed to the door beyond said closing device, a piston for the cylinder, a connection between the piston and said operating part of the door-closing device, and a fiuld-pressure supply and control connected with the cylinder for operating the piston by fluid pressure for opening the door.. a

4. The combination with a hinged door, and a door-check and closertherefor, includ-'- ing an oscillatory member, of a cylinder and a piston therefor carried by the door, a rack 5 attached to the piston, a gear fixed to. the

oscillatory member and meshing with said rack, a connection between the oscillatory member and a stationary part for opening the door when said member is oscillated, and means for admitting fluid under pressure to said cylinder for actuating the piston and thereby opening the door.

I 5. The combination of a hinged door, a

device mountedon the door 'for'closing the v same, said device having an oscillatory operatingpart equipped witha segmental rack, a connection between the segmental rack: and afstationary part through means oi" which the door opening and closing movements are'transmitted, a fluid-pressure de vice mounted on the door, and a rack meshing with said segmental ear and adapted.

to b'e operated by said fluid-pressuredevice for opening the door. n

6. The combination of a hinged door, a device mounted on the door for closing the a connection tween the segmental rack and a stationary part through means of which the door opening and closing movements are "transmitted, a fluid-pressure device mounted on thedoor, a rack meshing with said seg- MYRON L. HANEY.

same, said device having an oscillatory open ating part ecppeipped with a segmental rack,

essure will be released ll the C108: 7 device to close the door. g 

